1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to musical drums and, more particularly, to an improved percussion device that can be employed as a versatile drumhead in combination with conventional and other types of drumshells.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventional drums typically comprise a cylindrical shell fashioned from wood, metal or a synthetic material, or a combination of these. A separate drumhead is attached and covers one or both ends of the shell to act as the contact surface for producing the desired drum sounds.
Drumshells are constructed so that the shell wall, which is normally annular, is orientated perpendicularly to the plane of the drumhead. A conventional drumhead is formed and bent at its periphery to enable tension to be applied at right angles, i.e. by employing a plurality of devices such as drum lugs, connected to the shell to pull at the periphery of the head (in a direction normal to the head surface) to stretch and tension the film. The direction of the tensioning effort is coincident with the head's vertical axis, more specifically coincident with the generally vertical plane of the bent or angular portion of the section of the head disposed around its periphery.
In general, conventional heads comprise a vibratile sheet or membrane, which is stretched over an annular hoop, usually metal, having an inner and an outer rim that define a channel. Typically, the channel is filled with some type of adhesive or resin into which the bent peripheral portion or edge of the membrane is inserted. The adhesive or resin is then permitted to cure, enabling the film (or membrane) a fixed and secure connection to the hoop. Often, a curved metal bar is inserted into the channel on top of the portion of the drumhead membrane submerged beneath the resin, until the resin cures. This gives added strength to the connection between the hoop and the membrane.
The drumhead is then placed over one end (or both ends) of a drumshell. A standard rim mounted counterhoop is placed over and in tight contact with the annular hoop to secure the drumhead to the shell. Thereafter, the counterhoop is employed in combination with any suitable tensioning mechanism to tension or tune the drumhead, as necessary.
Though the connection between the hoop and the membrane can be a relatively strong one, certain drawbacks remain. In time, even this kind of connection loses strength and the bonded relationship between the hoop, resin and membrane begins to deteriorate. One reason for this can be traced to certain physical factors, including the limited bond strength existing between a small amount of resin attempting to secure and maintain a strong bond with a relatively small piece of membrane submerged within. Thus, the surface area of the membrane in contact with the resin is minimal, and eventually the bond breaks.
Another drawback associated with the drumheads of the prior art is their inability to join with certain types of drumshells because of their incompatibility of design and structure. For example, a conventional drumhead cannot easily join with a conga or bongo type drumshell, even with the use of a counterhoop. What occurs in this situation is the difficulty the drummer has in striking the drumhead with his or her hand while somehow keeping the hand from striking the (usually metal) drum lug components in the process. The constant contact between the hands and the hard, unforgiving metal lugs eventually causes the hands to become tender and ultimately suffer severe pain from exposure to the repeated trauma.
Thus, it is desirable to provide a versatile drumhead construction for use in combination with all types of tunable drums, including, without limitation, toms, snares, bass drums, congas, bongos and other ethnic drums.
The drum head of the present invention employs a construction in which the striking or contact surface of the head, i.e. the film or membrane, is situated above an integrally formed annular shoulder or vertical wall, which continues at its base in a co-planar orientation with a separate hoop component, which bonds securely to the top and bottom surfaces of the film along the base. This improved instrument enables the tunable or tensioned film, which combines with a flat hoop, to vibrate significantly more freely than the film is capable of when simply joined with a standard rim mounted counterhoop in combination with a conventional hoop. The improved drumhead in combination with any kind of drumshell produces sounds with a great deal more quality and integrity of tone than before.
The present invention has other applications. Employing proper support means attached to the inside of the shell wall, the drumhead can be supported and fixed in place at the shell opening, near or substantially even with the shell's circumventing edge. The improved drumhead can also be adapted over the rim portion of a conventional shell and then mounted there using conventional tensioning mechanisms. When used with a conga drum, a counterhoop with a separate annular piece having a rounded or curved top or exterior surface can be placed over the annular hoop fully enclosing and surrounding the annular shoulder. Thus, this annular piece with its upper exterior or surface coincidental with the plane of the membrane acts both as a counterhoop and as a guard and support member for the hands to preclude against soreness or serious injury.